The 2026 MLB trade deadline is set for Aug. 3, so teams have just over one week to make deals, and all the top players are still on the market.
Peak among them is Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers’ ace who is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season. The Tigers’ playoff hopes remain alive, but they have just 36.1% odds, according to FanGraphs.
The Tigers face a tough decision about whether to buy or sell, but they could also do a bit of both. Detroit could find it beneficial to move some of their players who they don’t see as part of their future, while also adding pieces for the long-term who can help now, as well.
That seems to be their thinking with a potential Skubal trade, as they are said to be looking for an MLB-ready starting pitcher with team control, along with high-end prospects as part of any deal, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.
The way they would do it, according to two rival executives briefed on the Tigers’ thinking, is by trading Skubal for a controllable starting pitcher plus quality prospects.
Although that deal would absolutely hurt the Tigers’ chances this year, it could put them in a better position next year and beyond. Skubal is unlikely to stay in Detroit following the season, so the Tigers risk losing him for just a compensation pick in the 2027 MLB Draft.
If he’s traded, the left-hander would instantly become the top pitcher on nearly any team in MLB, or at least in consideration as their best arm. The 29-year-old has thrown 82.2 innings this season with a 2.83 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 0.93 WHIP and a 30.5% strikeout rate while walking just 3.4% of hitters, and he has won back-to-back Cy Young Awards.
Given his immense talent, the cost to acquire Skubal will and should be high, even though he only has half a season of team control remaining.
Teams may also get into a bidding war for his services, not just to acquire the impact he’ll make, but also to potentially avoid facing him in October.
Dodgers trade for Tarik Skubal?
No team is better positioned to trade for Skubal than the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they also appear to have the smallest need for him.
The Dodgers already have a rotation headlined by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, while Blake Snell is expected back before the season ends. Tyler Glasnow also remains an option to return, but his situation is less clear.
In addition, Justin Wrobleski has made a fantastic case for himself to be a member of the playoff rotation, and Roki Sasaki showed a lot of promise in his previous outing.
When October rolls around, the Dodgers won’t need a full six-man rotation, so they can just pick their best four starters at the time.
Still, it could be tempting for L.A. to offer a package that includes Emmet Sheehan, who would meet Detroit’s ask for a controllable MLB starting pitcher, along with one of their top outfield prospects, a position where they have a lot of depth, and then whatever else it takes to get the deal done.
The Dodgers may also prefer to stick with the group they have and just add on the fringes, such as catching depth, with Will Smith’s return uncertain.
In addition, they could also end up being sellers to some degree, which is a strategy they’ve taken in the past when they traded Mitch White to Toronto and Matt Beaty to San Diego.
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